After the Affair(12)

'You have no rights, Dan McKay!' she spat at him. 'You gave away your rights nine years ago! And I warn you, if you hurt my son I'll ‑'

'My, son, too,' he broke in harshly.

'Only technically!'

He grabbed her. 'Is that my fault? How was I to know?'

'If you'd stayed around long enough, you would have found out, you...you...'

'Bastard?' Dan suggested.

'If the cap fits, wear it!'

His hands fell from her arms. He drew himself up, stiff and tall, his eyes frightening in their steel-edged resolve. 'You won't give an inch, will you?'

Cassie looked into Dan's eyes and knew instinctively, overwhelmingly that she had made a ghastly mistake. She should have been more conciliatory, more reasonable, regardless of the circumstances. Aggression only bred aggression, and Dan was a wealthy, powerful man—a man not used to being crossed. It came to her with shocking clarity that if she kept blocking access to his son he might actually steal the boy. She had heard of fathers kidnapping their children and fleeing overseas. The very thought made her feel ill.

'Now let me warn you, Cassie Palmer,' he ground out, his voice vibrating with deadly menace. 'If you thought I was a bastard before, that's nothing to the bastard I'm going to be. You don't want me to tell Jason I'm his father, do you?'

Cassie caught her breath, once again glancing anxiously at her son. He was sitting behind the wheel of the sports car, making noises with his mouth, pretending to drive.

'But I will do exactly that if you don't do as I say. No one is going to keep me from my son, do you hear me? No one!'

And with that he spun round, striding away down the path. At the back gate, he whirled, setting incredibly cold eyes upon her. But when he spoke, his voice was amazingly normal. 'So glad you can drop in for a drink this evening, Cassie...I'll be looking forward to it. Say about eight? Your visitor should be gone by then. I know you won't be late. We have so much to talk about...' He cast a meaningful glance in Jason's direction, his threat quite clear.

Jason looked up, hearing Dan's last words. 'Can I come too, Dan?'

'Sorry, son,' he said gently. 'Only grown-ups allowed. Besides, don't you have to go to school tomorrow?'

Jason's face dropped. 'Yeah...' He climbed out of the car, eyes down.

'Don't you like school?'

'I s'pose it's all right.'

'You can come over to my place after school tomorrow, if you like.'

The boy's face brightened. 'That'll be super!' He ran to his mother. 'Can I, Mum?'

She looked over his head at Dan's uncompromising expression. 'As long as you're home before dark,' she managed to get out.

'Wow! Terrific!'

'I'll pick you up from school, Jason,' Dan suggested smoothly. He lifted an eyebrow at Cassie. 'I'm sure he'd like a ride in my car.'

Cassie's insides tightened. She didn't want her son left alone with Dan, but what else could she do? If she said no it might make the situation worse.

She glared at the man whom she had once loved. He was a stranger—a dark, malevolent stranger. Hatred welled up in frightening swirls. Bitter, hot hatred.

His mouth pulled back into a sardonic smile, terrifying her. For he had seen her hatred. And was unmoved by it.

'See you tonight, then,' he called nonchalantly. 'And tomorrow afternoon for you, my boy,' he added, ruffling Jason's hair before striding through the gate and round the nose of the car. He opened the driver's door, pausing to give Cassie a farewell salute before sliding behind the wheel.

It was a mocking, almost threatening gesture, impelling Cassie to place a protective arm around Jason's slender shoulders. The engine purred into life and Cassie caught a glimpse of a harsh glance before the red car disappeared.

Only then did she draw breath. How could she still want such an individual? What devilish fate made her respond to his touch, and no other man's?

'Dan's real nice, isn't he, Mum?' Jason said with a happy, upturned face. 'I like him.'

Cassie's heart contracted. What an impossible situation she was caught in! 'He likes you, too, love,' she said truthfully.

'I can't wait till tomorrow. Hey, Gran!' He ran into the house, bursting with his news.

Cassie felt close to despair as she watched her son run off. Nine years she had spent making life happy and secure for her son. Nine long, hard years! It had not been easy being an unmarried mother in Riversbend; it had not been easy returning to university to finish her degree. But she had done it. She had got on with her life and made a success of it. She was a respected member of the community, and Jason was a happy, well-adjusted boy.

Dan was threatening everything she held dear.

And, much as she hated the man and what he was doing, she had handled him very poorly. Her blatant lack of co-operation had made him resort to a type of blackmail. Of course, she could go down to Strath-haven tonight and apologise profusely, then beg Dan to see things her way. But would he respond to such an appeal? He was angry. No...furious! He wasn't going to listen to her. She just knew it.